Born Ditzy: Drunk Vows, Sober Goodbye

Nolan Steele pursed his lips as he slid an agreement and a pen across the table to me. His eyes were a little red, and his fingers tapped twice against the edge of the table.

That was his tell whenever he was nervous.

I looked at the agreement. Instead of reaching for the pen, I reached over and touched the back of his hand, which rested on the table.

I said, "Your hands are freezing."

He trembled slightly, but he didn't pull away.

Without even glancing at the terms of the agreement, I picked up the pen, ready to sign.

Nolan pressed down on my hand. "Wait! At least read it before you sign."

He started going through the agreement with me, clause by clause. The house would be mine, the savings would go to me, and any debts under his name would have nothing to do with me. He'd even set up a fully funded trust on my behalf to make sure I would be financially secure in the future.

Comments started floating past my eyes like a livestream chat.

[Holy crap. Is this divorce agreement all in her favor?]

[I dare you to say I'm wrong in calling him the best guy in the world! But I get the feeling he really is broke now.]

[No way. In the original story, the male lead ends up loaded later…]

I was practically seeing stars by the time Nolan was done explaining. I said, "I don't get any of that. The bottom line is, I just need to sign, right?"

I moved to sign again. Once more, Nolan stopped me.

His Adam's apple bobbed. When he spoke, his voice was rough. "There's one last thing. Getting divorced doesn't mean we're cutting ties completely. If you ever need my help with anything, just ask."

I stared at him, puzzled. "But you're drowning in debt. What could you possibly help me with?"

Nolan was at a loss for words and lowered his head.

I thought back over the last three years. No matter how busy he was, he would always text me goodnight. Any dessert I casually mentioned would show up in the fridge the next day. Whenever I stumbled home drunk, the light in the entryway would always be on.

My heart suddenly softened. I looked at him and said seriously, "If you really end up so broke you can't even afford to eat, come to me. I'll take care of you."

Nolan's head snapped up. His eyes turned even redder than before, and he swallowed hard a few times before he finally managed to murmur, "…Okay."

The comments rolled by again.

[What's with her attitude? He literally gave her everything!]

[My heart aches for Mr. Steele. He still thinks he's not good enough for her!]

[Where's his true love? Come and comfort him!]

[This lady doesn't have her head screwed on right…]

Nolan told me he'd found work on a construction site. He would be doing physical labor. The pay was good, and meals and housing were included. He was leaving right away.

He stood by the door with a suitcase in hand and looked back at me. His lips parted like he wanted to say something, but he ultimately stayed silent. Then, he opened the door and walked out.

The moment the door clicked shut, the comments exploded.

[Physical labor? Is he for real?]

[From CEO to laborer… Why do I kinda wanna laugh?]

[Don't. This hurts to watch.]

[Wait, so he really did go bankrupt? Why else would he be doing physical labor?]